By Cullen Roche: Recent commentary out of Europe shows that we are moving in the direction of a more unified Europe. But is it enough? In a speech today, Angela Merkel called for a “New Europe” that will involve closer political ties. Bloomberg reports:

Gulf Cooperation Council officials said the European Union needs to step up efforts to conclude a long-planned free trade agreement between the two economic blocs, after failing to reach a compromise despite concessions from the Gulf states.

Politically connected businessman and philanthropist Nathan Jacobson surrendered in a Toronto courtroom Wednesday, ending his flight from American justice.
Jacobson, who in 2008 pleaded guilty in the United States to money laundering, is in custody at the Toronto West Detention Centre awaiting transfer to San Diego, Calif., where he is expected to be sentenced to several years in prison for his role in an internet pharmacy that sold controlled drugs to people without proper prescriptions.

Bob van der Valk submits: Louisiana is currently bracing itself for the big oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to hit their shores with devastating consequences. This calamity brings back the experiences and lessons learned from previous oil spill disasters like the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989 and the 1969 Santa Barbara channel oil spill.

Hundreds of Belarussians from the opposition gathered Saturday in the capital Minsk for a "European forum" to encourage closer ties with the European Union, ahead of a meeting in Brussels next week."Belarus needs economic, political and social modernising, and our principal partner of course is the EU", said the leader of the main opposition party Movement for Liberty, Alexander Milinkevitch.EU nations next week will approve talks on boosting cooperation with Belarus, and refrain from enforcing a travel ban on its leaders, according to EU officials.

United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN Security Council was due to vote Tuesday on a draft resolution on Palestinian statehood that was almost certain to be defeated in the face of strong US opposition.

VIENNA — Nuclear negotiators have failed to meet a Monday deadline for a deal that would ease international concerns about Iran’s atomic program and are poised to extend the negotiations for a comprehensive agreement until July 2015, diplomats said.
Under the terms of limited agreements reached after a frenetic six days of talks in Vienna, a political accord is to be completed by March 1, with final details contained in annexes to be sealed by July 1, the diplomats said.